I wasn’t too serious about the free bags, it is in fact a wishful thinking. However, that wishful thinking is because I think the system has a fundamental flaw, the diapers and hygiene products as per my post.

I find ironic that they are making a big deal that it takes 1000 years for the plastic bag to breakdown, but how about the velcro on the diapers, and other little things that are not compostable. About 40 diapers can go into one compostable bag that weights only 11 grams versus 40 x 36 grams (dry weight) per diaper.

Why so much money going into advertising just so we can start using the compostable bags? I would have been happy with a single mail notice, or magnet that can stay on my fridge.

I know it is recyclable box, but why not put all the bags in the compostable bag?

Now with the introduction of the compostable bags the sorting system should be more efficient. The Green Bin Program stated that if the bag cannot be opened at the first stage of composting, then that bag goes to landfill. So with the new system the process should generate more compost. Efficiency translates to less operating cost and better output. At this point I thought that giving about 2 free bags per household would have been good idea, or getting them for less from the town just because of the efficiency.

Elizabeth don’t get me wrong, on the end I do not have choice just to follow the rules. I will put diapers and hygiene products as recommended (not in the black garbage bag) because at least it is sterilized. My conscious mind will never let me mix the compost with garbage. I grew up when we would separate compost from garbage even though here in Canada at some point all went to same landfill. I was very happy with the arrival of the green bin program. It felt good to do the right thing again. Surprised that it took that long.

Sometimes I just have hard time to pay for somethings which do not make sense …

Thanks for your comments again.

Anna

I’ve already posted about why your diapers and feminine hygiene products shouldn’t be in the compostable waste.

If you want cheap waste disposal, go ahead and put everything into the same bag and buy big black bags from a big box store. No one will know except you what is inside.

Part of dividing the waste stream materials is asking people to be responsible for what they use, or dispose. Part of responsibility is acknowledging the waste we pay for by being consumers.

Much of the waste reduction seems to be both asking ourselves what waste we produce and asking the people who provide us with goods and services how they plan to reduce waste.

Sometimes we need to reduce waste by not buying something in the first place.

Most of the materials in disposable diapers and personal hygiene products (feminine hygiene and adult incontinece products) are organic polymers and they are not compostable. I use the term organic in its definition by chemists, not its definition by non-chemists.

The main absorbent in disposable diapers, feminine hygiene products, and adult incontomemce products is a plastic called sodium polyacrylate. It can absorb a lot of water, but it doesn’t actually break down in the composting process.

My litmus test for what I put in the green bin is “Was it alive or did it come from some living thng?”

We put in a lot of dog poop, dinner table rejects (bones, leaves, stems and crusts) and some nose wipe tissues.

As for plastics, they go in the garbage unless they are labelled recyclable.